That the reader may understand the circumstances which led to that
terrible charge, a description of the ground must be given.
From the lofty plateau of the Chersonese, on which the British army was
posted, a long ridge of elevated ground extends to the eastward, on the
top of which runs the Woronzoff road. Along this ridge was a line of
forts armed with carriage guns, which had just before been captured by
the Russians from the Turks who had garrisoned them. To the south was
the broad valley, with the heights of Balaclava on the farther side, in
which the charge of the heavy cavalry, under General Scarlett, took
place. On the north side of the ridge was a narrower valley, with the
Fedhoukine hills to the north.
It was towards the latter part of that memorable day, the 25th of
October, that the British cavalry were drawn up under Lord Lucan at the
western end of this narrow valley directly under the steep heights of
the Chersonese. On the summit, at the very edge of the heights, Lord
Raglan with General Airey and other officers had taken their post, so as
to overlook the Woronzoff ridge and the Fedhoukine hills with the whole
of the intermediate valley. The eastern end of the valley was occupied
by some powerful batteries of Russian guns, supported by large bodies of
cavalry and several regiments of infantry, while the heights on both
sides were crowned by Russian artillery and infantry. Lord Raglan,
perceiving that it was the intention of the Russians to carry off the
guns they had captured from the Turks, ordered up General Cathcart's
brigade to prevent them from effecting their object. Some delay
occurred before the brigade began its march; and the Commander-in-Chief,
seeing that the Russians would succeed in carrying off the guns if not
at once attacked, despatched Captain Nolan, an officer on General
Airey's staff, with a written order to Lord Lucan to charge the Russians
with the light brigade of cavalry commanded by Lord Cardigan, and to
recapture the guns. Lord Lucan and Lord Cardigan saw only the heavy
guns in their front--those to which Lord Raglan referred being concealed
from their view by the high ground. They, therefore, supposing that
they were to attack the guns which they did see, naturally demurred
about performing an act which might prove the destruction of the whole
brigade, while the aide-de-camp, who thought only of the guns on their
right, insisted in strong language that the order must be obeyed.
Supposing that the order was understood, Captain Nolan then placed
himself on the left of the light brigade, intending to charge with it.
Lord Cardigan, still under a wrong impression, obedient to the order
which he conceived had been sent him, placed himself at the head of his
gallant light cavalry, and gave the order to advance. Instead of
wheeling with their left shoulders forward towards the slope on their
right front, as the Commander-in-Chief expected them to do, the cavalry
continued straight down the valley, Lord Cardigan, on his tall charger,
at a distance of some five horses' lengths in front of the line, leading
them.
Scarcely had they gone a hundred paces when Captain Nolan, dashing out
from the left of the line, galloped diagonally across the front, waving
his sword and pointing eagerly towards the Russians on the right. There
might yet have been time to remedy the fatal error into which the
cavalry guards had fallen, but at that moment a shell burst close to the
brave aide-de-camp. His sword fell from his hand, while his arm still
remained extended; his horse wheeling, dashed back towards the advancing
ranks, passing between the 13th Light Dragoons, and he fell to the
ground a lifeless corpse.
Steadily on went those 600 men, almost to certain death, a perfect
marvel of discipline and heroic courage. From the Woronzoff heights on
the right, from the Fedhoukine hills on the left, came showering down
upon them shot and shell and rifle bullets, thinning their advancing
ranks. Each gap made by the deadly missiles was immediately filled up.
On went the devoted band. More and more dropped. Riderless horses
galloped back, some falling in their course, others uttering cries of
agony from the wounds they had received. Here and there human forms
could be distinguished lying in the quiet of death, others writhing on
the ground, or endeavouring to drag themselves back up the valley. As
the brigade, still as steady as if on parade, dashed forward, the guns
in their front opened their fire, filling the air with dense masses of
smoke. Right up to them they charged, Lord Cardigan still leading.
Amid the guns they forced their way, cutting down the gunners, who
either fled or endeavoured to find shelter under the carriages.
Lord Lucan, in the meantime, followed with the heavy cavalry to support
the light brigade, but having lost many men, he judiciously retired, at
once seeing that his brigade would be destroyed before they could even
reach the guns, and they were now compelled to remain inactive while the
action continued, as their brethren in the light cavalry had been in the
morning. At this juncture a portion of the French cavalry--the famous
regiment of D'Allonville--moved forward, sweeping round the western base
of the Fedhoukine hills, up which they charged, rushing forward as fast
as the uneven nature of the ground would allow them, on the Russian
artillery and infantry posted there, and which had caused such fearful
loss to the light cavalry as they passed. As the French approached, the
artillery limbered up and galloped off to the eastward, while the
infantry quickly retreated, although not until many a gallant
Frenchman's saddle had been emptied. Some minutes of awful suspense had
passed since the last of the red line of cavalry had been seen rushing
into the smoke. Those posted on the height of Chersonese could discern,
as the smoke cleared away, a dark mass in the distance, and the
glittering of sword-blades, while the sounds of musketry and the
confused murmur of voices which came up the valley indicated that the
fight was still raging. The guns which had dealt death into their ranks
had ceased to roar. They had fought their way through, attacked, and
put to flight the Russian cavalry. Then breaking into several bodies,
after enduring a heavy fire from the rifles of the infantry, had wheeled
round and were making their way back towards the point from which a few
minutes before they had set forth in brilliant array. One body had to
encounter a whole regiment of lancers drawn up on their flank. Although
the Russians thrust at them with their long spears, every blow was
parried, and they passed by unscathed. At length, here and there a
single horseman was seen moving slowly back, he or his charger sorely
wounded. Now more and more appeared, several dropping as they returned,
the whole centre of the valley, as far as the eye could reach, being
strewed with bodies of men and horses. The number of those coming up
the valley now increased. Among them appeared the tall form of their
leader, he and his horse uninjured; then came larger parties, followed
by single horses and men on foot, still exposed to the fire from the
Woronzoff ridge. Presently a number of Cossacks came galloping up after
the retreating cavalry, spearing some, and taking others prisoners; but
the Russian guns on the causeway again opening fire, the Cossacks, to
avoid being struck by their friends, were compelled to abandon the
pursuit, many of those they had surrounded making their escape. Among
the last who came in was Lord George Paget, who with Colonel Douglas led
out the remnant of the 4th Dragoon Guards and a portion of the 11th
Hussars. Of the Gallant Brigade, which half an hour before had numbered
600 horseman, not 200 now remained fit for duty. 113 officers and men
had been killed, and 134 wounded, while upwards of 400 horses were
killed or rendered unfit for service. Although the Russian batteries
still kept up their fire, many of the troopers who had themselves
escaped dashed back to search for their wounded officers or comrades,
and several were thus saved from perishing on the battle-field.
The Russian loss was far greater. Sir George Cathcart, with the 4th
division, coming up, the enemy fell back, and abandoned the attempt to
carry off the guns. On the next day, the 26th of October, the Russians
made an attack on the 2nd division, that part of the British force which
was posted above the ruins of Inkerman.
About 8000 men, supported by artillery and skirmishers, advanced against
this division; but so admirably did they sustain the attack, that when
General Bosquet led up some French troops, they retreated, and were
chased down the ridge towards the head of the bay. This attack has been
called the Little Inkerman.
Battle of Inkerman 5th November. The allied commanders had decided on a
general assault for the 7th of November; but the enemy, who had received
immense reinforcements, anticipated their plans, and prepared for
another terrific attempt to raise the siege, and to drive the allies
into the sea.
The camp of the 2nd division was on the extreme northern end of the
heights, above the ruins of Inkerman, with Careening Bay on the left,
and the river Chernaya in front. The extreme right of the British
position, and the left of the French, was the weakest point. Sir De
Lacy Evans had pointed it out, and Sir John Burgoyne had especially
urged the French General Biot to strengthen it, but he paid no attention
to the advice; and at length the English, their strength already
overtaxed, had erected a small work there, but no guns had yet been
mounted. Of this the Russian generals were fully aware when they formed
their plan of attack. Two corps of the Russian army were detailed for
the grand attack. One, under General Pauloff, was to march from the
north side, and crossing the marsh from the causeway, was then to wind
up the heights in front of the 2nd division, and force the English
right. Simultaneously with General Pauloff's movement, the other corps,
under General Soimonoff, was to leave Sebastopol by a road near the
Malakoff, which would have brought it up in front of the British light
division. Instead of this, by mistaking the ground, he moved to his
left, and found himself in front of the English 2nd division; so that,
when General Pauloff's leading regiments arrived, the ground intended
for their attack was already occupied, and the battle had begun. The
Russians, confined therefore in a narrow space, encumbered each other
during the day, and could not find sufficient room to deploy. It was
dark and wet, and a thick fog lay on the ground as the day dawned on the
5th of November. It is said that Major Sir Thomas Troubridge, who
commanded the outposts of the first brigade of the light division, after
relieving the advanced sentries, went down before daybreak towards the
Mamelon, and sweeping the ground with a field-glass, descried the enemy
on the opposite side of the ravine. While he hastened to get the 2nd
division under arms to meet the threatened attack, the advanced pickets
were surprised, but behaved with the greatest gallantry, disputing every
inch of ground with the Russian riflemen. One detachment, in falling
back, held the Sandbag battery for a short time, but were driven out by
the enemy. The 2nd division, under General Pennefather, was formed at
once on the ridge in front of their own camp, the other English
divisions getting under arms and hastening to the front. The three
regiments of Guards proceeded to the right, and General Bullar's brigade
to the left of the 2nd division. General Codrington's brigade took up
the ground in front of its own camp, on the left side of Careening Bay
ravine, on the spot where it had been intended Soimonoff's corps should
have deployed. On the noble Guards fell a large share of the work of
that sanguinary day. Pressing forward, they drove the enemy out of the
Sandbag battery; and, though fiercely assailed on both flanks, they
maintained that forward position during the day, except for a short
time. Once they had to retire before overwhelming numbers and a
terrific fire of artillery; reinforced by the 20th Regiment, they again
rushed forward and retook the redoubt. In vast masses the Russians
pressed on, their artillery of heavy calibre supporting their advance,
and often throughout the day the fortune of the fight seemed doubtful;
but never did troops behave with more heroic courage. Shrouded by a
thick fog, each man, and each company, and each regiment, felt that they
must in a great part depend upon themselves. Meantime, Sir George
Cathcart, with part of the 68th Regiment, and a few other men, hearing
that the enemy were attempting to force the extreme right, and that it
was the point most open to danger, pushed rapidly forward, hoping to act
on the flank of the Russian troops storming the Sandbag battery. He had
not gone far when he discovered the enemy on his front, on his right
flank below him, and on his left above him. At that moment he fell,
shot through the head, while several of his staff were killed with him.
General Torrens, who had come up, was also wounded; the men were
withdrawn to the ground on the flank of the battery, which they, with
other troops, continued to maintain. By this time several of the
Russian generals, with the officers of their staffs, and colonels of
regiments, were killed, and their troops thrown into confusion. While
the battle thus furiously raged and numbers were falling, the Russians,
5000 strong, made a sortie against the left of the French batteries, and
succeeded in spiking several guns; but the French troops, rallying,
charged them so furiously that they were driven back; some of the
French, carried on by their ardour, entering the batteries with them.
The brave French General Lourmel was killed; but the Russians lost 1000
men. For several hours had the battle of Inkerman raged; the English,
but 8000 strong, supporting the whole brunt of the fight. The
termination seemed doubtful; fresh troops were brought against them, but
yet not a man who stood on those bloody heights ever dreamed of
yielding. Yet, overwhelmed at length, the Guards were pressed back.
Not only were they assailed by the fire of the Russian field batteries,
but by the guns of Sebastopol, and by those of the ships in Careening
Bay. Suddenly the shrill tones of the French horns were heard above the
rolling and rattling of the firing. The regiments of the first brigade,
which arrived with that dashing intrepidity for which the French are
distinguished, immediately pressed forward into the thick of the fight,
and almost reached the Sandbag battery, the contest for which had been
so often renewed. But even these fresh troops found difficulty in
maintaining themselves, and were almost surrounded. A second brigade,
however, quickly reinforced them, and several French batteries coming up
on the right of the English ones, the enemy were at length completely
driven from the ground, and had now no alternative but a difficult
retreat down precipitous slopes. Heavy masses were observed retiring
over the bridge of the Chernaya, and ascending the opposite heights,
abandoning on the field of battle 5000 or 6000 dead and wounded.
"There is probably," says Colonel Adye, "no record of any battle in
which such great numbers fought on so small a space. There are few
which have been so stoutly contested, or in which the valour and
perseverance of all the troops engaged have been throughout so
conspicuous."
The conduct of the English infantry is immortal. Although enfeebled by
previous fatigue and constant night watches, still, on the day of trial,
for hours did 8000 men resolutely maintain themselves against successive
columns of attack of vastly superior numbers; and at last, when almost
overpowered, they found an ever ready and gallant ally at hand to save
them in their hour of need.
This battle, too, brought out conspicuously the sterling courage and
unmatched steadiness of the English artillery. Repeatedly were the
Russian columns close to the muzzles of the guns, and were driven back
by volleys of case. In some instances the batteries were actually run
into, and the gunners bayoneted at their posts. Their carriages were
repeatedly struck, and their loss was 96 men and 80 horses killed.
The casualties of the British army amounted to 2590. Of these, 43
officers and 416 men were killed, and 101 officers and 1332 men were
wounded, while nearly 200 were missing. The Russians lost fully 15,000
men.
That of the 25,000 British infantry landed in the Crimea, only 8000
should have been forthcoming to take part in the battle, may seem
surprising; but so it was. Three thousand had been killed, 5000 were
sick, 3000 were in the trenches, and 6000 of the 3rd division were at
Balaclava. Of those present, the Guards had 1300; 2nd division, 2500;
light division, 2000; and 4th division, 2200.
And now let us do justice to the memory of as gallant a soldier as ever
led the armies of Old England to victory, by looking at the difficulties
by which Lord Raglan was surrounded.
Of his already diminished numbers, 2500 men were lying on the field of
battle--eight of his generals had fallen--the hospitals were full--
cholera was in his camp--no recruits were coming--winter had arrived--
the men had no shelter--no transport to bring them food--no clothing,
for the _Prince_, with 40,000 greatcoats, and stores of all sorts, had
gone down. Never did an army with more heroic courage and endurance
persevere to finally conquer, though its brave General sank under the
load of anxiety pressed on him, and the unjust accusations brought
against his fame.